Tag: ministry leadership

Big Ideas & 'Best Of'

Top Posts for October 2012

WOW — it’s November!

We’ve turned a corner and can now see Thanksgiving break off in the distance — and so can our students.

It’s been another good month here at FaithONCampus.com. Thanks to all who participated in The Art of Self-Leadership Blogathon. This month’s Top 10 includes a number of great guest posts from this event.

When you’re done checking out these posts, I begin to think more intentionally about the remaining weeks of the fall term, I’d encourage you to check out Ideas for November.

Now, on to this month’s Top 10 most viewed posts at FaithONCampus.com!

Leadership Development, The Campus Minister

The Power and Peace of “No”

“No.”

How often to you use this word? Do you feel the freedom to use it — to tell people no, to turn down a request?

My guess is the answer to that question is “no.” Or at least, not very often.

We feel called by God — to serve others. To be available. To make a difference.

“No,” just feels so unhelpful — even unChristian.

But is it?

Leadership Development, The Campus Minister

The Freedom in Discipline

Have you ever been to a dueling piano bar?

They’re truly astounding to watch. Their level of skill is uncanny, and they can play a seemingly endless number of requests. To this day, I’ve never seen a dueling piano player stumped by an audience request.

The freedom these performers have on their instruments is enviable. How fun it must be to sit down with such command of the piano! To have the freedom to play whatever they want.

I took piano lessons for several years as a kid, and I never got even close to this level of talent. It’s easy to watch these guys and imagine they must just be better than I am. More musical, more gifted, whatever.

Leadership Development, The Campus Minister

Hiding Behind Busy

In the last year, I’ve gotten to a place where the hamster wheel that I feel like I’m on is spinning out of control. Because I’ve been on the hamster wheel for, oh, about 25 years (I perfected managing a schedule, balancing responsibilities, and not lying around at a very early age), I actually know better how to live busy than I do to live balanced. I’ve explained to friends and family for years… okay, decades, that “things are going to slow down soon,” or “I’m just hustling now and I will get a break in a couple of weeks.”

In the midst of the busyness of ministry, I’ve learned that perhaps busyness is masking a dirty little secret. In the last year as I’ve examined both the cause and the cost of my busyness, I’ve begun to wonder if sometimes my busyness is actually…

Leadership Development, The Campus Minister

The Freedom of Being Scheduled

I’ve learned, I can’t do everything. In fact, I’ve learned that if I don’t do some things, I can’t do anything.

It probably became a reality for me when my two boys were busy with sports, school, and church activities. I grew up without a father, so I wanted to be there for everything they did. I was successful for the most part, but that meant balancing their plans with running a business, serving on the city council, as well as dozens of appointed boards because of my elected position. I was in over my head.

Leadership Development, Spiritual Formation, The Campus Minister

Set A Compass

I’m a collector, of sorts. I collect compasses. It’s not a very big collection. I only have about six of them. And though some of them look pretty nice, none of them are expensive. But I do like compasses. I have a couple setting on my desk at the office. I have one on my desk at home. I have others sitting at various spots throughout the house.

A compass is different than a clock or a calendar. Clocks and calendars are about time. A compass is all about direction. It is not about where you are at this moment in time, but about the direction in which you are heading. It helps to answer the questions, “Am I going in the direction I want to be going? Will this path get me to the place you want to be?”

Leadership Development, The Campus Minister

A Rich but Often Overlooked Resource for Self Leadership

While we lead others, we must lead ourselves. I often say to students who are planning on going into ministry, “We lead with our lives.” Ministry is, in one big sense, witness. Not infallible witness (we are all flawed, so please don’t climb on the inadequacy bandwagon), but witness, nonetheless.

In the best ministry, we are transparent, vulnerable, even when we’re assertively taking charge and doing great things.

This is the paradox of spiritual leadership.

Leadership Development, The Campus Minister

Staff Meeting For One

As I walk into a familiar local deli, I am greeted by a hostess who smiles and says, “Staff Meeting for one?” I smile and nod to acknowledge that it is, in fact, Monday morning and time for my weekly staff meeting…with myself.

Over coffee and a danish, I call the meeting to order, seeing that all are present, and I begin the process of getting on the same page with myself for the week. For the next hour, I will spend time in prayer and Scripture reading, then look over my week and begin to chart out the happenings of the next seven days.

This meeting is critical to the overall outcome of my week. The days of going into the week blind, only addressing the issues as they come, are over. If I am going to lead others, I must first lead myself.

Leadership Development

Is Your Ministry Overwhelmed?!

Is your ministry overwhelmed?

It’s a fair question, but one I think we often feel guilty asking.

The picture above is of a Bradford pear tree — that has split in two.

This picture captures the beautiful blossoms that grace this particular kind of tree every spring — which is why so many people choose to put them in their yards.

If you’ve ever driven down a road, lined with Bradford pears in full bloom, then you know what I’m talking about. It’s like driving through a path of gigantic Q-Tips that have been cut in two and shoved into the ground.